In our latest article, we provided an extensive checklist for planning a web design project. Today, we bring you more resources on the subject. Enjoy!

Careful planning is the key element to make sure your website design is created the most effectively and in the most efficient manner possible.  Web design planning is your opportunity to define your website’s goals and to create a plan to achieve them.

Here is a checklist of steps you should consider for your web design project planning:

Inception Phase

• Set the website’s main goals;
• Create a user profile list;
• Define your users’ potential objectives when visiting your website;
• Set some basic design features –you may want it to be funny, friendly, technical or business;
• Create a main competitors (and their website address) list;
• Define some key messages you want your visitors to remember;
• Define the technical requirements you may need – such as CMS or mobile integration;
• Set the web development project’s budget and timeframe.

First Steps

• Analyze your competitors websites’ navigation and message;
• Create your website’s map, with content categories hierarchical ordered;
• Define Navigation Elements. Think of main navigation, breadcrumb trails, related links, pagination, footer navigation, and their visual display, like hyperlinked words, tabs and buttons;
• Design wireframes.
• Create multiple design concepts;
• Define the website’s forms with specific fields and validation systems.

Designing Phase

• Define page titles;
• Choose background colors;
• Define graphics styles;
• Set horizontal and vertical rules;
• Define headlines, titles, subtitles and labels style;
• Choose text fonts;
• Define links and visited links colors;
• Display graphics (pictures);
• Define bullet list style;
• Create banners and define their styles;
• Design image gallery.

At CodeMyIMAGE we’ve developed an efficient process for developing small to medium sized web sites. We understand that every project is unique and proper planning is the key to ensure a website design is developed in a step-by-step process to avoid missing elements that would impact design and schedule.  Defining and following a process, which includes considerable client interaction, should result in only minimal changes to your overall plan.

In our previous article we provided some tips to design your website with a focus on content. Today we would like to bring you more resources from web design specialists:

• Using White Space Effectively In Web Design
• 10 Principles For Readable Web Typography
• Designing for Feature-Rich Websites: Best Practices
• The Principle of Proximity in Web Design

Today it is not enough to have a great looking website for your business; visitors use search engines and type specific keywords to cut through to the information they need. Content is especially crucial when it comes to SEO, and our mission for today (should you choose to accept it), is to blend the content with the design and “Voila”! a website pleasure waiting to be discovered by your visitors.

Here are some tips that will help you design websites with content in mind:

• Use grids. A good grid system needs planning and will help deliver just the right balance of content. For instance, use the same width for columns containing similar information and dedicate a bigger column to important messages and information. Although it’s nice to allow variations within a grid system, for content-heavy websites use a grid and stick to it.
• Negative spacing is important in all web design so that the content does not appear chaotic. It keeps the viewer’s eyes focused where you want it, which is on the specific content.  Plan for negative spacing intentionally, as it will be pleasing to the eye and offer the contrast needed between content resulting in a more pleasureable reading experience.
• Consistency. Everything from typography to navigation should be the same throughout the entire website. The more accustomed to a structure the eyes of your visitors are, the easier they will tune to your website’s important messages.
• Borders and boxes. To divide text elements, both borders and boxes work effectively. Creating enough space in the correct areas can help separate and organize content and define hierarchy among different ideas. Empty spaces can be filled with simple design elements that separate and determine unique areas.
• Readable typography. Readable content is one of the most important characteristics one should keep in mind when designing a website.  Use only a few fonts and don’t think of using smaller fonts in order to integrate larger amounts of information. Use the same color for specific text elements like titles, subtitles or quotations to generate consistency.

Additionally, for websites that require a lot of content, the design will have to be specifically tailored around it.  The challenge with content-heavy websites, is to know where and how long introductions, calls-to-action or other pieces of content will be.

At CodeMyIMAGE, we know that quality web design means effective balance between content and images, backgrounds and white spaces.  Furthermore, we are aware that there are many websites that can’t escape from large amounts of content, like online shops or news sites.  Our professional team can assist with design and tips on content to bring the user experience you are looking for to life, right in front of your visitors’ eyes.

In our last article we provided some tips and tricks to develop your web design creativity. Today we would like to bring you more resources from those who already found the methods to remain creative:

• Creativity, Inspiration, and Brainstorming
• Should Graphic Designers Sketch For Their Design Projects?
• Website Brainstorming Techniques
• Sketching: How a Simple Pen and Paper Can Transform Your Web Designs